An article recognition apparatus, which recognizes a plurality of articles (target objects) from a photography image, is now in practical use. The article recognition apparatus executes a process of specifying image areas of articles from a photography image captured by photographing a photography area including an area where the articles are arranged, and identifying the articles in the specified image areas of the articles. In some cases, in a photography image captured by photographing a plurality of articles from above, there occurs an area (hereinafter referred to as “unidentified area”) where articles cannot be detected due to overlapping disposition of a plurality of the articles.
In related art, there is known a method of generating a three-dimensional (3D) image from a photographed image, specifying a product area by utilizing the 3D image, and recognizing a product existing in the specified product area. In this related art, however, it is assumed that the target of recognition is one product, and it is not assumed that products overlap each other. Specifically, this conventional article recognition apparatus cannot detect (recognize) a product existing in an unidentified area which occurs due to overlapping of a plurality of products. A settlement apparatus using such an article recognition apparatus would possibly execute a settlement process with a price lower than a correct price, if an undetectable product exists in the unidentified area.